System and method for editing cartographic data

A computer based method for displaying cartographic data, the method comprising:

• retrieving from a first record set in a computer system cartographic source data including a plurality of features;
• retrieving, in the computer system, cartographic edit data from a second record set that is editable by a user inputting modifications of features into the computer system;
• matching cartographic edit data to corresponding features in the cartographic source data;
• and
• creating, in the computer system, an output record set, wherein, if cartographic source data matches cartographic edit data for at least one of the features then using cartographic edit data for at least one display parameter of the at least one feature and omitting, from the output record set, cartographic source data for the at least one display parameter of the at least one feature, and if the cartographic source data for one of the features has no match with the cartographic edit data then using only the cartographic source data for the one of the features, wherein the output record set is created without modification to the cartographic source data,
• causing display of the output record set on a display device.

A system for editing cartographic data, the system comprising:

• a display device for displaying at least one feature of cartographic source data;
• a user input device for selecting and modifying features in the display device;
• a processor for retrieving cartographic source data from a first record set and selecting cartographic source data corresponding to a selected feature;
• wherein, responsive to an instance edit by a user through the user input device of the selected feature, the processor creates cartographic edit data representing the instance edit of the feature without modifying the retrieved cartographic source data and associates the cartographic edit data, representing the instance edit of the feature, with the unmodified cartographic source data for the feature;
• and
• wherein the processor creates an output record set for display on the display device by merging the unmodified cartographic source data and the associated cartographic edit data for the feature without modifying the unmodified cartographic source data;
• and
• a digital memory for storing the associated cartographic edit data within a second record set that is editable by further instance edits of features by the user through the user input device.

A system for displaying cartographic data, the system comprising:

• a display device for displaying an output record set;
• and
• a processor for retrieving cartographic source data for a plurality of features from a first record set and retrieving cartographic edit data from a second record set that is editable by a user inputting modifications of features into the system;
• wherein the processor is configured to match cartographic edit data to corresponding features in the cartographic source data;
• wherein the processor is configured to create the output record set and wherein, if cartographic source data matches cartographic edit data for at least one of the features, the processor uses cartographic edit data for at least one display parameter of the at least one feature and omits, from the output record set, cartographic source data for the at least one display parameter of the at least one feature, and if cartographic source data for one of the features has no match with cartographic edit data, the processor uses only the cartographic source data for the one of the features;
• and
• wherein the processor is configured to create the output record set without modification to the cartographic source data.

A computer program product for use on a computer system for editing cartographic data, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having computer readable code thereon, the computer readable program code comprising:

• computer code for retrieving cartographic source data from a first record set and displaying at least one feature of the source data in a display device;
• computer code for identifying source data corresponding to a selected feature responsive to a computer input by a user selecting the feature in the display device;
• computer code for creating cartographic edit data representing an instance edit of the selected feature responsive to a computer input by the user modifying the selected feature in the display device wherein the cartographic edit data is created without modifying the retrieved cartographic source data
• computer code for associating the cartographic edit data, representing the user's instance edit of the feature, with the unmodified cartographic source data for the feature;
• computer code for storing the associated cartographic edit data within a second record set that is editable by further user instance edits of features;
• and
• creating an output record set for display on the display device, by merging the cartographic source data and the associated cartographic edit data without modifying the unmodified cartographic source data.

A computer program product for use on a computer system for displaying cartographic data, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having computer readable code thereon, the computer readable program code comprising:

• computer code for retrieving from a first record set cartographic source data including a plurality of features;
• computer code for retrieving cartographic edit data from a second record set that is editable by a user inputting modifications of features into the computer system;
• computer code for matching cartographic edit data to corresponding features in the cartographic source data;
• and
• computer code for creating an output record set, wherein, if cartographic source data matches cartographic edit data for the at least one of the features then using cartographic edit data for at least one display parameter of the at least one feature and omitting, from the output record set, cartographic source data for the at least one display parameter of the at least one feature, and if the cartographic source data for one of the features has no match with the cartographic edit data then using only the cartographic source data for the one of the features, wherein the output record set is created without modification to the cartographic source data;
• and
• computer code for causing display of the output record set on a display device.